Primrose Franchise Owners have always come from all walks of life and professional backgrounds. After all, there are several reasons for a career change, and franchising allows owners to go into a business without much knowledge of the industry if the right support and training is in place. But lately, I’ve noticed more and more Franchise Owners coming from industries outside of education. In fact, many of our newest investors have other personal service franchise businesses in their portfolio.
You may be wondering: why would the owner of a hotel or restaurant find early education as a viable expansion strategy? For one, it’s financially promising – the $3 billion early childhood education franchise industry has grown at a steady annual rate of 5.1 percent over the past five years, and economic indicators suggest it will continue expanding. But there are five more reasons why the leap between industries is easier than it may seem, making early education one of the best investments for personal service franchisees.
Customer Service Focused
Any personal service business requires a high level of customer interaction to ensure a sustainable business model. In the hospitality industry, customers require attentive service from the time of booking until they check out, and guests will only return or recommend the location if the quality of service meets or exceeds their expectations. Similarly, the clientele at Primrose requires the highest standard of care. Primrose students range in age from 6 weeks to 6 years — those critical foundational years for their educational, physical and emotional development. Parents who entrust their children to Primrose must feel confident about every aspect of their child’s comfort, care and security.
Finding and Retaining Quality Employees
Employees must be of the highest caliber to work in either the hospitality or child care industry. Essentially, these employees will act as an extension of the family, so they must be selected and trained very carefully. Primrose Franchise Owners who have worked in hospitality know smooth operations stem from responsible and trustworthy employees. The hospitality industry has one of the highest annual turnover rates of any industry in the U.S., which puts extra stress on operators to deliver on brand promises. Training and rewards are critical to retaining employees who can bend over backwards to serve demanding customers.
Management and Leadership Skills
In either industry, management and leadership skills give franchise owners a chance to grow the company culture and the skills of their employees. Hotel franchise owners manage multiple teams of people with various functions, often in multiple locations. Add in thousands of rotating guests each week and the operation is a complex hub of moving parts requiring the ability to focus on several tasks all at one time. Franchise Owners who own multiple Primrose schools face similar challenges of managing multiple teams of teachers and staff. They have fewer new customers to deal with each day since enrollment occurs in waves, peaking at different times, but they must keep all parents and children happy.
Community Investment
Both types of franchises require an investment in the community. Each type of business also benefits a community. Having more hotels attracts more events to the city, and having more high-quality child education centers attract more businesses to put down roots. According to Upjohn Institute’s Timothy Bartik, investing in early childhood programs is as good or even better than any other strategy to strengthen regional economic development and per capita income growth. Both the local economy and the next generation benefit from early education centers.
Never Boring Day-to-Day Experience
In some industries, the day-to-day operations become monotonous and boring, but in both hospitality and early education and child care, no two days are exactly the same. Every day means new guests, new events and new challenges in the hospitality industry. While Primrose mostly serves the same children almost every day, no two days are the same. Every day, the children are learning new things and even teaching the adults a thing or two about life. Each Primrose student is unique, making every day an adventure for those teaching them.
It’s worth noting that, despite these similarities, there is one major difference between early education and other personal services franchises: child education and development franchises can have a much greater reward. Each Primrose Franchise Owner is investing in the next generation of their community, and I can’t think of another franchise opportunity that offers that kind of personal satisfaction.
If you’re interested in pursuing an early education and care franchise, call 1-800-PRIMROSE or use the link at the top of this page to request more information about becoming a CEO of Happiness with Primrose Schools.